Frequently Asked Questions - Admissions

If the applicant’s institution has divided the full-year course and given a semester course mark for the first term, we will count that mark in the GPA calculation. If the applicant’s institution has only provided a mark at the end of the Winter 2020 term, then the entire course will be treated as being credit/no credit and will not be used in the GPA calculation. In both cases, all credit/no credit courses will count towards the number of credits required for application and may be used to fulfil prerequisites. 

After consulting with other universities, we have been given a broad understanding of the difficulties of course delivery and the challenges faced by both professors and students in adapting to on-line learning. In addition, after an in-depth examination of the variations of how winter courses were arranged, and how responsibilities, assignments, and examinations were laid out over the term, it has become apparent that there is no equitable way to split a full year course and effectively encompass all the variations and nuances encountered by many academic institutions.

Courses taken during Winter 2020 will be treated as credit/no credit and therefore will not be used in the GPA calculation.

No. Part-time courses are counted towards meeting the prerequisite and degree requirements, but they will not be included in the GPA calculation. 

All applicants must meet the minimum admission requirements in order for their application to be screened. We are adhering to the minimum GPA and MCAT requirements due to application numbers. 

No. We require that prerequisite courses have been passed.

No, we will evaluate your application, including graduation status, as per the official documentation received by the October 1st deadline. You will be assessed as a master’s degree applicant whose degree was in progress.

The 3 additional letters of reference for the MD/PhD applicants can include some duplicate referees, but they will have a different focus (i.e. your scientific ability and potential). 

Yes. Each brief personal essay must be 250 words or less. This word count does not include titles, references or verifiers, if you choose to include these.

No. The activities listed on your ABS, as well as transcript information, are limited to those prior to the application deadline.

The PharmD (Doctor of Pharmacy) is a professional, undergraduate degree and not a graduate degree. 

Each year, we invite residents, clinical fellows, physicians, allied health professionals, and community members, to name a few, to join our group of file review and interview volunteers. We also enlist the help of our current MD student representatives to recruit a diverse group of volunteers each year. 

When a space in the class becomes available, we contact the next person on the waitlist with an offer of admission. We will make repeated attempts to contact applicants from the waitlist who are being offered admission - we do not skip your name simply because we got your voicemail. Since we cannot predict how many additional offers may be necessary, or when they may be needed, we maintain a portion of the waitlist until the beginning of classes. Final notification to these candidates will be sent at the end of August.

We will update the stats on our website over the summer.

You are expected to complete studies that correspond with your current year.  For example, if you are applying for admission while registered in the third year of undergraduate studies, you should have at least three third-year or higher courses in your program. If you are in the fourth year of your program, you should be enrolled in a majority of courses at the third- and fourth-year levels.  Please note that this is an expectation rather than a requirement.  It is recognized that at times, students take courses in lower years for various reasons, such as a change in program or to complete subjects of interest or prerequisites that did not fit the academic schedule previously.  

Online degree-level courses completed at accredited universities are acceptable in order to fulfill degree and prerequisite requirements.  Additionally, if the online course(s) are completed as full-time studies, they would count towards the overall GPA.   

We do not use the GPA calculated by your university as we do our own calculations.  All marks from courses taken as full-time studies, (i.e. 3.0 FCEs in the regular academic session- September to April and  1.5 FCEs in the summer term), will count in the GPA. 

The circumstances of the applicant would be evaluated individually. Any application would have to be made in the usual way, meeting published deadlines, and would be assessed in the same pool with all other applicants for entry in that year. 

No. Transfers are not allowed.

Canadian Universities: 

At least three years in a coherent course of study which, if completed, would lead to a university degree, most commonly a Bachelor's degree. Candidates who apply during their third year of study must be completing the equivalent of 15 FCEs by the end of the third year, and have completed the course requirements for either a three-year degree or the third year of a four-year program. Candidates who apply during their fourth year are expected to be completing the equivalent of 20 FCEs  or completing their four-year degree. Candidates who will not meet these requirements due to enrolment in special programs must outline the reason in the Academic Explanations Form on the OMSAS application. 

Universities Outside Canada: 

Applicants attending American universities must be completing a four-year Bachelor’s degree. Applicants attending universities outside Canada or the U.S. must complete the equivalent of a four-year Canadian Bachelor's degree. This equivalency must be assessed in a course-by-course evaluation from World Education Services 

No. 

No. All universities across Canada are treated equally in the application process.

No. Students with university education in any discipline are encouraged to apply. Medicine requires individuals with strong backgrounds in the social sciences, humanities, physical sciences and life sciences. All programs are treated equally in the evaluation process. 

No. 

Yes. See our financial aid page for more information on the awards, scholarships, grants and bursaries available. 

Generally, OSAP and other government aid are not released all at once. Some is released when you register and begin classes and the rest is released at the start of your second term in January. 

The application process may vary from province to province. Students must apply for loan assistance from their home province. 

The University of Toronto financial aid page provides links to all provincial and territorial student loan programs. 

No. Marks from completed years of university undergraduate professional programs such as Dentistry or Pharmacy are calculated as part of the undergraduate GPA. College marks (including Chiropractic, Naturopathic or Homeopathic programs) are not included in the GPA calculation. 

An important distinction is our minimum GPA requirement. Also, graduate applicants receive credit for their graduate work. 

No. There are no quotas of any kind. The most competitive of all applicants are offered admission to the program, regardless of academic level.

No. Applicants who cannot meet this deadline will have their offer cancelled.

No. We require applicants enrolled in the final year of their degree program to complete all requirements by June 30 of the application year. If you encounter an extenuating circumstance, which requires you to delay your degree progress, please contact our office to request extension or deferral of your admissions.

Yes. If you have completed or are enrolled in the final year of your graduate program (Masters or Doctorate) at the time of applying to the MD program, you are considered a graduate applicant. 

Yes. You are required to submit the contact information of a verifier for your program as part of your OMSAS application. Without this information your application would be incomplete and may not be considered. 

Research at both graduate and undergraduate level can be included on your ABS. 

No, but you should include them as your verifier for your graduate program. 

Yes. Please provide a brief explanation for why you decided to decline the award. 

Medical schools have different assessment procedures. At U of T, the interview is the final stage of the admissions process. Applications are reviewed in detail prior to ranking for interview. Due to the volume of applications, the process of careful review and scheduling means you may hear from us later than from other schools. 

Attendance at an interview is mandatory. We will make a reasonable effort to accommodate students who have conflicting interviews or compelling personal circumstances. We encourage applicants to email md.applicants@utoronto.ca with any conflicts of interview dates. Due to the limited availability of interview times, such accommodation is not always possible. 

Invitations are sent by e-mail to the address you provide in your OMSAS application. All applicants who are offered an interview must reply by a given date. If you are invited for interview and we do not hear from you, we will try to contact you by telephone and/or e-mail. Failure to respond to the invitation may result in the cancellation of your application. Please ensure that you keep your contact information up-to-date with OMSAS. We receive these updates on a regular basis. 

Offers of admission will start to be sent out in the 2nd week of May. 

We do not provide personalized feedback on applications.

Interviews take place between February and April. Applicants are notified by e-mail on an ongoing basis, as the files are reviewed. 

We are not able to provide status information on your application.

We are not able to release information regarding offer status.

It is our policy not to disclose an applicant's position on the waitlist.

Your MCAT score is used as a threshold requirement at the application screening stage. Once you satisfy the minimum requirement, your MCAT score will not be considered any further.

Applying with scores that fall below the minimum will jeopardize the success of your application.

Yes. MCAT scores are released 30-35 days after an exam date. You would need to ensure there is sufficient time between when you take the MCAT test and when the score is released to meet the OMSAS deadline

Yes. The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC) are offering a fee assistance program for Canadian examinees in financial need who register for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). The AAMC and the AFMC are committed to providing support to Canadian students who would be unable to take the MCAT without financial assistance. This will contribute to a diversity of students enrolled in Canadian medical schools. 

If paying for MCAT expenses out of pocket would be challenging for you, please consider applying!  To check your eligibility and apply, refer to AFMC's website for information on the Fee Assistance Program

Minimum scores of 125 in each of the four sections are required, with an allowance of 124 in one section. We do not use a total MCAT score in our assessment. 

No. The activities listed are limited to those prior to the application deadline.

There is nothing that you ‘need’ in the Autobiographical Sketch. You will not be penalized for interest in the clinical side of medicine, rather than research, or vice versa. You will not be penalized if you have fewer extracurricular/volunteer activities because of your need for employment. There is no required number of activities or required number of hours. Some candidates may have a large number of activities among which they share their time; others may have a few activities to which they devote a large amount of time. 

Referees should have extensive knowledge of you and be in a position to make reasonable statements concerning how best you fit the four clusters. You may wish to vary your choice of referees to include those with knowledge of different aspects of your activities, both academic and non-academic. It is in your interest to select referees who are able to give an objective assessment. Applications from candidates with letters from friends, family, or family friends or colleagues of close family members will not be considered. 

Any materials submitted after the deadline will be considered late and the application will be marked as incomplete so it will not proceed to file review. 

You are expected to make a reasonable effort to verify all major activities listed in the Autobiographical Sketch. It is understandable that a few verifiers may be out of touch, or no longer with the organization. Please use common sense and do the best you can. 

No. The most important thing is that the activity or accomplishment  shows evidence of the attribute clusters. The nature or location of the activity is not relevant to the assessment. 

No. The essays are assessed on content rather than style. A thoughtful, clear and concise writing style with proper spelling, grammar and punctuation is the best way to get your ideas across. 

Yes. They must appear on the university transcript as credits with the equivalent university course

No. We classify these as physical sciences.

For application to the U of T MD Program, applicants are not required to complete university level courses in Chemistry or Physics. However, applicants are reminded that the MCAT is an application requirement, and that this test requires knowledge of Biology, Organic and Inorganic Chemistry, and Conceptual Physics at a first-year university level. 

If you are not sure whether the course fits the definitions given here, you may e-mail us with the course description. It is not necessary to verify Biology, Anatomy or other medical sciences courses, even if they are taken under the auspices of Nursing or Kinesiology. 

Yes, but your university transcript must show your enrolment in these courses. Successful completion of these courses will be part of your admissions condition should you receive an offer.

Yes. Although you are not expected to have a large number of lower year courses when you reach the upper years, it is understood that courses outside your major area of study may need to be taken at an introductory level. 

Marks from prerequisite courses are not relevant to the assessment process, except as part of the overall GPA. The most important thing is that you select courses that meet the prerequisite requirements.

All Psychology courses taken at U of T are taught as life sciences; however, some universities classify Psychology as a social science. You must check with the university you attended. If your university cannot provide the designation of their Psychology course, please email the course description from your course calendar and we will confirm the designation. 

It is our experience that students who have some knowledge of statistics find it helpful in the MD Program. You should also be aware that application to the MD Program involves strong expository writing and comprehension skills. Expository writing involves a discourse or critical evaluation, conveying information or ideas and explaining or expanding on their meaning. It is not necessary that you check these courses with us. 

Life Sciences are courses where the main content and focus is on life systems. Some examples would be Biology, Zoology, Anatomy and the medical sciences. Please note that Biophysics or Biomedical Engineering courses must focus on the life systems and not on apparatus design. 

Courses involving literary or historical study. Examples would include Literature, History, Film Studies and Philosophy.

Note: Technical writing courses are not acceptable as Humanities prerequisites.

Courses involving social, cultural or geographical aspects of a population. Examples would include Sociology, Public Health, Gender Studies, and Anthropology.

Music Therapy, Musical Performance or Theory, Dance, Theatre, Mathematics, Computer Science, Geology, Business, Commerce and Statistics.

The MD Admission bursary or Temerty Faculty of Medicine grant will not affect your ability to receive support through OSAP and you do not have to report it. Bursaries and grants are reported by the university on behalf of the student and are distributed to students due to financial need. They are different from scholarships, awards, and additional income.  When filling out your OSAP application, please ensure you do not include any financial need bursary or grant.